The Riddle Song
by Songwind
Summary: Have I written enough Chiri stories? I think not! This is a songfic with him and Hikou. It's a bit OOC, and the way Hikou dies changes a bit. Please enjoy.


The Riddle Song  
  
By Songwind  
  
Notes- Has anyone ever seen/ listened to the musical "Floyd Collins"? It's about a man in the 1920's who gets trapped in a cave and eventually dies there. But the play's focused on how everyone reacts to him being stuck and all... well, anyway, this song-fic is based off of one part of the musical where Floyd can still communicate with his loved ones. His brother is talking to him and passing the time while they're trying to get Floyd out from the cave by asking riddles.  
  
That said... this changes how Hikou dies a bit. Houjun and Hikou play out the Riddle Song while Houjun's trying to save Hikou.  
  
Please enjoy. And go find a CD of Floyd Collins! It's depressing, but you all should at LEAST listen to when Floyd's singing in the cave. The echoes are beautiful!  
  
DISCLAIMER- I don't own Fushigi Yugi OR Floyd Collins. Both belong to geniuses I could only dream of equaling some day. I changed the lines to the Riddle Song a bit so it would fit Hikou and Houjun better.  
  
Please enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Shoryuu was destroyed.  
  
The flood was finally starting to wash out, leaving in its wake sticks and rocks where houses once stood. Fish from the river lay around the small village. Some were still flopping frantically about; others were long gone.  
  
The fish reflected most of the townspeople; while a number of them had been washed into the river to drown, others had been flung around beaten to a pulp by the horrible winds, slippery mud, and huge current that had passed through. Village people lay with untreated wounds on multiple parts of their bodies, most of them having their lungs filled with air. Most of them were already dead.  
  
The moon, which had ascended into the heavens during the dreadful flood, shone bleakly down on two figures close to the dying river. One was conscious, with only one good eye (the other was nothing but dried blood now). The other was knocked out, with a head wound he'd gained from falling into the river a while back.  
  
Houjun frantically fought to save his friend's life. He ripped off his soaking shirt and tore it to pieces to wrap around his friend's head to help with the bleeding, then started on trying to get the water out of Hikou's lungs. He placed both hands just below Hikou's chest and began to push hard.  
  
"Come on, Hikou," a weak voice pleaded. The blue-haired young man blinked away a tear from his good eye. "Not you too. Oh Suzaku, not you too. First Kouran, then my family, and not you too, please..."  
  
Any anger, any sadness at what had happened only hours ago disappeared as he feared more and more for Hikou's life. Pushing, one, two, three, four, five... Houjun forced air into his friend's lungs and did it again. Pushing, one, two, three, four, five, six...  
  
Suddenly, Houjun stopped as Hikou began to cough. Hope swelled his heart, and he again forced air into Hikou's lungs before pushing again. "Come on, Hikou, please. I couldn't stand..."  
  
"H-Houjun?"  
  
Said young man stopped again and sat back on his heels as Hikou came around. The dark-haired man turned on one side to cough out any remaining water before falling onto his back again with a moan.  
  
"What... happened?"  
  
"I found you by the river. Hikou... everyone's gone."  
  
"..." Hikou, who had had his eyes closed, slowly opened them. "Your eye..."  
  
"Yeah." Houjun attempted a smile, but it didn't work very well. It felt- and looked- as though he was merely baring his teeth. "It's what happens when I try to be a hero."  
  
"Houjun... for what it's worth, it was... just one..."  
  
"It doesn't matter now," Houjun interrupted, feeling the pain of betrayal sting. "Don't worry about it. We gotta get you someone who can help."  
  
"The next town? It's... at least two days for a healthy man to walk, Houjun."  
  
"Then we'd better get started." Houjun tore another part of his shirt into a wrap, and added another layer to the makeshift bandage on Hikou's head. "You have an awful head wound, Hikou... Try and stay awake, ne?"  
  
Hikou sighed. "That makes two of us."  
  
"Can you walk?"  
  
Hikou started to sit up, and groaned again.  
  
"Never mind..." Houjun stood, and with every muscle in his body protesting he squatted down so his back was facing his friend. "Try and climb up, will you?"  
  
He heard a grunt, then after a moment felt two hands wrap gently around his neck. Houjun braced himself, then stood.  
  
"Oooowww," he gasped.  
  
"Houjun, this is stupid. You're gonna kill yourself, too..."  
  
"Shut up." Houjun took a step. Then he managed another, then another.   
  
Somehow, being injured himself, sore all over, and carrying an equally injured man, Houjun managed to keep going.  
  
At first, Hikou was silent, lost in thought as they struggled along. Then, after a few minutes, he said,  
  
"Hey, Houjun.   
  
What's pink and green, and flies all over?  
  
...Houjun? You with me?"  
  
The blue-haired young man blinked, then an idea fell into his mind.  
  
"What's made of stone,  
  
But soft like a pillow?"  
  
"That's not what I asked you, Houjun. What's pink and green and flies all over?"  
  
"What's made of stone,   
  
But soft like a pillow,  
  
You can float on top  
  
Or sink down in it  
  
You can get underneath,  
  
But it don't crush you?"  
  
Hikou was silent for a moment.  
  
"Come on think now,  
  
You'd better think now, Hikou.  
  
Give it some thought now.  
  
It ain't hard...  
  
You know, I know you know.  
  
I'm a hearkening back to a time ago.  
  
When a day wasn't done when we didn't raise hell  
  
And the sun put us under a magic spell....  
  
Well?"  
  
Hikou was silent still.  
  
Houjun felt a twinge of irritation. "You're a dumb-ass, you know that? You must be the dumbest-"  
  
"Oh shut up. I got it."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Sand," Hikou said.  
  
"Sorry, no. Keep thinking, and this time use your BRAIN. Now,  
  
What's made of stone, but soft like a PILLOW-"  
  
"I told you I got it! SAND!"  
  
Houjun snorted. "Sorry, that's not this riddle. Now,  
  
What's made of stone,  
  
But soft like a pillow,  
  
You can float on top  
  
Or dive down in it,  
  
You can get underneath  
  
But it don't crush you?  
  
Come on think now,  
  
You'd better THINK now, Hikou.  
  
Give it some thought now,  
  
It ain't hard...  
  
You know, I know you know.  
  
I'm a hearkening back to a time ago.  
  
When you'd say to me  
  
"Houjun are ya ready are ya set?"  
  
And I'd say to ya  
  
"Hikou, are you ready to get wet?"  
  
Another long silence.  
  
Then, "I know!  
  
It's soft just like a pillow, made of rock carved in stone,"  
  
"Uh-huh"  
  
"The answer to the riddle surely is the riverside!"  
  
They both said at once, "The riverside!"  
  
Hikou said,   
  
"The sun beating down on our faces all blistering hot, Houjun!  
  
We'd run off alone to our own secret spot, Houjun!  
  
Under the shady side, our own fishing hole,   
  
We'd each have some worms  
  
And an old fishing pole!"  
  
Houjun smiled faintly and added,   
  
"With school far away, like it wasn't there at all, Hikou!  
  
We'd hook for a day and we'd sure as hell have us a ball, Hikou!  
  
Go for a swim to cool off our hides,  
  
We'd float up on top   
  
With the sky open wide!"  
  
"Heh, yeah, I remember that now," Hikou said softly. "That was always so fun..."  
  
"Yeah," Houjun said.  
  
The two were silent for a while. Houjun stared ahead, surprised to find that for the past couple of minutes, he hadn't felt any of his soreness at all. His mind had been filled with the memories of just the two of them, laughing and splashing around in the water when they were younger.  
  
"If only..." he mumbled.  
  
"Alright, I got one!" Hikou said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What's got, a trunk and a tail   
  
And fifty limbs-"  
  
"Hikou, I'm trying to concentrate on helping you here-" Houjun began.  
  
"You ain't concentrating, you fibber, You're just a wee bit slow in the head just like you always was. Just a little bit slow," Hikou retorted.  
  
Houjun couldn't help but smile at that. "Look who's talking!"  
  
Hikou ignored him.  
  
"What's got, a trunk and a tail  
  
And fifty limbs  
  
You can ride all day  
  
But you don't go nowhere  
  
Only front to back,  
  
To and fro...  
  
Come on think now,  
  
You'd better think now, Houjun!  
  
Give it some thought now,  
  
It ain't hard...  
  
You know, I know you know!  
  
I'm a hearkening back to a time ago.  
  
When a day didn't pass when they couldn't catch us trying  
  
To ride it high, till it felt like flying...."  
  
Houjun frowned in thought for a few minutes as they trudged along. Then, he felt his memory return. Again, he felt a smile stretch over his face.  
  
"I know!  
  
The answer to the riddle,  
  
A trunk and a tail and fifty limbs,"  
  
"Uh-huh,"  
  
"The answer to the riddle surely is our swing tree."  
  
"Our swing tree!" Both exclaimed. Now both bore smiles as they were drawn back into their childhood memories, the real world slowly fading from around them.  
  
"We'd shimmy on up like a dog chasing after a squirrel, Hikou!  
  
Up to the trunk where we could look down on the world, Hikou!  
  
Out on a limb where that old rope was hung,  
  
High above the water   
  
Waiting to be swung!"  
  
"Yeah, we'd..." Suddenly Hikou coughed.  
  
"Hikou, are you all right?" Houjun asked.  
  
"I have a head wound, and it's still bleeding, Houjun. What do you think?"  
  
Houjun's memories were dashed as he felt a thrill of fear go up and down his spine. That voice, Hikou's voice, suddenly sounded so weak to him... "Hang in there, Hikou, you lie there and rest okay? I'll get you there in time, I swear to Suzaku we'll get there in time. Just don't fall asleep on me, you hear!"  
  
"Yes.... Mother."  
  
The blue-haired young man relaxed slightly at that.  
  
"Houjun?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm really sorry for what happened. I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd left me to die. I... I probably would have, if it'd happened to me."  
  
"Don't talk nonsense, Hikou. Shut up and rest or you'll waste energy you'll need later!" Houjun commanded. His friend immediately quieted, and Houjun softened his voice. "It's... all right. It's done with. Forget it."  
  
"So you forgive me?"  
  
"...I don't know, Hikou. We'll see if I can. It's a matter now of whether Kouran could forgive me. If you could forgive me."  
  
Hikou opened his mouth, but Houjun seemed to sense he was going to talk. "No, shut up. You're injured. Rest. Keep yourself calm, that way you won't pump blood around as much I think."  
  
Slowly, Hikou obeyed.  
  
"Okay, here's one last riddle for you, Hikou.  
  
What's strong as a bull,  
  
Smart as a fox,  
  
Quick as a hare, and stubborn as a mule,  
  
Can make like a snake,  
  
His timing is on,  
  
Get stuck up for days  
  
And turn out fine?  
  
Lookie here now,  
  
There ain't no two ways about it,  
  
You don't have to worry at all,  
  
We're getting there...  
  
You know, I know you know.  
  
I'm a hearkening back to a time ago.  
  
When a day didn't end that we didn't help each other  
  
Kinda like a friend and kinda like a brother  
  
And it doesn't matter if it's me or if it's you  
  
There isn't a hole that we can't pull through..."  
  
He heard a weak, "I know! Yes sir! It's good to see you well!"  
  
"We'll clean you up and then we'll go on together!" Houjun said.  
  
"You just as ugly as you ever was, what took you so damn long getting me there? Talking too much like you always was!"  
  
"What's tall and dark and handsome?"   
  
"Ready to help with ease at will?" Hikou quipped.  
  
"Well-dressed and helping-"  
  
"The Emperor himself!"  
  
"And lucky is he!"  
  
"It's plan to see-"  
  
"That's really easy!"  
  
Both paused to just grin. Then, at the same time, they said, "That's us! That's US!"  
  
~*~  
  
Houjun wiped the tears from his face, but they were only to be replaced by more salty water.  
  
"Hikou, not you too," he whispered.  
  
His friend lay on the ground. His face was a picture of peace, all the pain lines Houjun had seen earlier smoothed away by the gentle yet insisting hand of death. The only thing showing the cause of his death, of course, was the huge well of blood that even now spilled from the wound in his head.  
  
"Suzaku, why did you let him leave me? I'm alone, now..." Houjun buried his face into his hands. He felt something warm, and a sharp pain shot through his injured eye. He knew he was bleeding again, but didn't particularly care at the moment.  
  
He let the tears flow now, tears he'd felt threatening when Hikou had begun to worsen only an hour or so ago. Now they were far down the road, with sunlight just coming.  
  
"Hikou, you never got to see the sun again. I'm so sorry!" he choked.  
  
For a while, he just let the tears go, let himself whimper and sniffle like he had as a child. Only now, he didn't have a friend to comfort him, or a family member to calm him down, cheer him up, and make him smile again...  
  
He stood up, and turned away from his friend. Then he stumbled down from the road, down a hill, and through some trees.  
  
Houjun didn't know how long he was stumbling around and running into trees or tripping on rocks. But after that time of pain, which felt like forever, he came across what he was looking for- the river.  
  
The blue-haired young man stared at the river that had taken everyone he'd loved. It was fairly calm now, of course. It had done its duty to Lady Death; now it was ready to help Lord of Life.   
  
"I swore to protect him," he mumbled at the river. "I swore to save him, damn it! You took him! You killed my friend!" He glared at it. "You want something else? Huh? Who else's life are you going to destroy? You've done your job," he sneered, "I've got nothing left. No friends, no family, no acquaintances damn you! What do you want now!? You want me!?"  
  
The river continued to bubble its way down its normal course. Houjun, now allowing himself to drown in his own grief, felt that it was laughing at him.  
  
"DAMN you! You want me? You can have me!"  
  
With that, he fell into the river.  
  
~*~  
  
...Well. THAT was depressing, ne? ^^; Well, that's how both the play AND the anime ends up, though; depressing, I mean, and with people dying.   
  
So how did you all like this? I realize this is different from how Hikou really dies, but it doesn't make sense for them to be able to sing riddles when Hikou's trying to hold onto 'Chiri while the river was still raging.  
  
Thanks for your time! 


End file.
